Alex Wilcox, JetSuite co-founder

‘Whether I am meeting with bankers, European suppliers or customers, I want to instil trust, and one of the ways I do that is through my choice of suit’

Aviation entrepreneur Alex Wilcox, 43, co-founded the private jet airline JetSuite in 2006. Wilcox began his career at Virgin Atlantic before co-founding JetBlue Airways, where he pioneered the implementation of onboard LiveTV. Based in California, he was named a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute in 2011.

Suit by John Varvatos

The private aviation industry is a formal one – our clients are among the wealthiest in the world – so I find it’s better to be overdressed, and I’m always in a suit and tie. Whether I am meeting with bankers, European suppliers or customers, I want to instil trust, and one of the ways I do that is through my choice of suit. I prefer slim-cut John Varvatos two-button suits – particularly in gunmetal grey. These thin wool suits are also wrinkle-resistant, which is important because I travel frequently.

Brooks Brothers makes classic white and blue shirts – with either regular or French cuffs – and I’ll opt for these simple colours if I’m wearing a tie; if I’m not wearing one, I like a shirt with a more interesting pattern. I often wear a pair of silver aeroplane cufflinks, given to me by [aircraft manufacturer] Embraer to celebrate the purchase of our seventh aircraft. These cufflinks aren’t too showy, but they are a fun conversation starter.

I like thin ties, in solid colours such as navy, with different materials – silk thread or an interesting pattern – woven in for contrast. I don’t do flashy ties, but I do have several aviation-themed versions. One of my favourites was given to me by Airbus during my JetBlue years, and serves as a reminder of that time.

I walk all the time, particularly when I am in New York or in Europe, so I opt for shoes that are comfortable but that also look polished. I like Mephisto’s lace-ups because they appear to have a formal, leather sole, but are actually made of rubber. These shoes work well in all kinds of weather – particularly in the rain – or on the tarmac.

Everyone in our offices is wearing these colourful socks. I think they give men the chance to dress a little more creatively. I typically wear more traditional blue-and-white striped socks, but I also like to experiment with patterns.

I have a Tiffany watch that was given to me by father, but I only wear it occasionally. Instead, I rely on my JetSuite-branded iPhone to tell the time. We actually discourage the wearing of watches – or jewellery of any kind – in the cockpits of our aircraft, as they tend to wear down the controls.